A. In the vast majority of cases, you will be best replacing the manhole cover itself and the frame in which it sits.

This is because you will face difficulty sourcing a cover that fits perfectly into the existing frame, potentially compromising the installation and its safety too. Therefore, the old cover and frame both need to be removed and after carefully measuring the size required a new cover and frame should then be purchased.

A tray only can be purchased for an old frame. These are bespoke so cost a little more than a complete unit and take approx. 3 weeks to produce.

A. The most common mistakes made with manhole covers come with the measurements. Within the entire industry, they are measured based on their clear opening size.

This is the aperture size that is left when the cover is removed from the frame, as shown in the diagram below:

The clear opening size is equivalent to the size of your chamber. It is not uncommon for people to measure the overall size of an existing manhole cover, but we strongly advise against this as manhole covers can have the same clear opening and different overall sizes.

It is also important to know the total cover or internal tray depth, depending upon the type of manhole cover you require.

Flags and tiles for example can go into a shallow cover, block paving more like an 80-100mm deep cover, etc.

A. If you lift the lid of your current cover and measure the inner dimension of the chamber walls this is your "clear opening". Our website list sizes by the clear opening so we should have something to suit as chambers are generally built to standard dimensions. The overall size of the cover and frame is bigger as they are supported on the ground around the hole in the ground. You can put a larger size cover over the chamber if not an exact match.

A. It's likely that your cover is quite old and in imperial measurements which are no longer manufactured. However, we can offer bespoke solutions with manhole covers made to the specification you require. It is also often cheaper and quicker to place a larger cover around the hole in the ground - there is rarely a reason you cannot go for a bigger cover.

A. Normally you would buy a manhole cover with a clear opening that matches the size of the access chamber or hole in the ground and cut tiles in the most appropriate way. For aesthetics we have been asked to supply covers that match tile sizes. The best way is to have a cover made that has an overall frame size of your tile. The tile will need to be trimmed to fit inside the tray but your grout lines will run in straight lines which will be visually appealing. We have covers in the tile size section with discreet barrel lifting points.

A. Naturally, galvanised steel or black polypropylene covers aren't always ideal, and so we offer brass or stainless steel edging, as well as complete stainless steel covers, and of course our new aluminium range.

A. Unfortunately, we do not offer an installation service. We recommend local handy-people or builders. The process is also usually quite straightforward and any budding DIY'er can undertake.

A. If you are still unsure after our installation guides, free to get in touch.

A. We suggest FACTA AAA or B125 covers as the minimum specification for driveways. A15 covers are suitable only for areas with light pedestrian or cycle flow and should not be installed in driveways.